Freed hostage Omer Wenkert spoke at the Israeli-American Council (IAC) National Summit in Florida, sharing his personal journey since returning home and delivering a message of hope, gratitude, and unity.
Asked how he introduces himself today, Wenkert replied simply, “It’s Omer Wenkert first. Former hostage, that’s still who I am."
Speaking with journalist Hila Korach, Wenkert described the complex process of rehabilitation following his release. “There is a couple of phases in the rehabilitation," he said. “At first, it’s a huge euphoria, just can’t believe it. You feel like you’re in a dream."
After several weeks, he said, reality began to settle in. “This is the point that for me, it was the point that I understand that I need to take everything slowly, step by step. And not rush into it," he explained, adding, “My brain told me like, you need to relax. So it was very important to listen to myself, to my body."
Wenkert noted that the second phase was more difficult. “It was more complicated. Because this was the real start of the rehabilitation process," he said, pointing to therapy and the importance of a supportive environment. “I have the environment that supports me and loves me, it’s very important."
He emphasized that alongside his personal recovery, he immediately joined the public struggle for those still in captivity. “Immediately I started, you know, I joined my parents and all of the hostages’ families. To the struggle to bring them back home, everyone, every single one," he said. “And of course, we’re not going to stop until Ran Gvili will come back to Israel."
Describing his return to everyday life, Wenkert spoke about learning to appreciate basic freedoms. “It took time to be comfortable about it. Because you appreciate every little thing," he said. “In the first few weeks, it was like an amazing moment for me to just flush the water out of the toilet. It was so incredible. Because for 505 days, I didn’t even see a toilet for once."
He recalled another small but emotional moment: “I was so excited to get inside my house for the first time and open the fridge… I looked at the fridge and I was like, wow."
While daily routines have since become normal again, Wenkert said his sense of gratitude remains constant. “I’m being thankful about everything. About everything. There’s nothing that’s granted for me. I took nothing for granted," he said.
Summing up his outlook, he added: “As long as my sky is above me, I’m waking up at my safe place in the morning… I have the people around me that support me and love me… I’m so thankful about it. And it’s more than enough for me."
When asked about the message he delivers around the world, Wenkert said his first goal is optimism. “First, it’s giving a hope opinion. A message of being optimistic," he said. “Who knows, maybe even tools how to handle the difficult stuff in life."
He stressed that he does not seek to minimize others’ struggles. “I want people to get the perspective that I talked about earlier," he said. “That when the sky is above you and you have the environment that you need and you are in a safe place and you feel secure, you are more than fine."
Wenkert said his second core message is unity. “It’s the message about unity," he declared. “I want everyone in Israel specific and all the Jewish community around the world and not only the Jewish communities to be united. Because it’s so important. This is what makes us powerful."
Concluding his remarks, Wenkert told the audience that this is the message he carries to every stage he stands on: “Am Yisrael Chai."